Folding step.



J. P. DEIMLING. FOLDING STEP. uruouxon mum MAY 21,1912.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

INVENTOR 7 I PQDd m I wmuassas 0 I ATTORN EYS J OHN PHILLIP]? DEIMLING, OF CLARION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WALTER GRAHAM, OF CLARION, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING STEP.

specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21, 1912. Serial No. 698,756.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PiirLLrrr DEIM- LING, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Clarion, in the county of Clarion and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Steps, of which the following'is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to folding steps, and the primary object of my invention is the provision of positive and reliable means, as hereinafter set forth, for folding the tread and riser at the foot of a flight of steps, whereby the steps cannotbe ascended.

Another object of this invention is to pro- .vide a folding step that can be advantageousl y used in connection with rail-way passenger coacl'ies, street-cars, and vehicles that are entered through the medium of steps, whereby the coach, car or vehicle cannot be entered when the same is in motion, thereby removing all liability of a person being'inpired by attempting to board a vehicle when the same is in motion. i

A further object of this invention is to accomplish the above result by a mechanical construction that is durable, inexpensive to install, easy to operate and highly efficient for the purposes for which it is intended.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view,

the invention resides in a novel construction,

con'ibination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to tlierdrawing, wherein like numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in

which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a flight of steps provided with a fold.

able step in accordance with this invention. Fig 2 is a rear elevation of the same. 7 Fig. 3. is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the step, illustrating the foldable step lower twisted end of a rack-bar 13.

underside of the tread 7 is provided with a rearwardlyprojecting arm 9 supporting a revoluble roller 10. The tread 7 also has a rearwardly projecting bearing 11 and pivotally connected to said bearing, as at 12 isltlie he rack-bar 13 extends upwardly through an opening 14 provided therefor in the platform 1, said raclebar extending between two standards 15 arranged in parallelism upon the platform 1. The standards 15 are connected by a transverse pin 10 and revolubly mounted upon said pin is a roller 17 upon which the upper end of the rack-bar 13 rests. The upper ends of the standards 15 are provided with bearings 18 and 19 for a revolublc shaft 20 that has one end thereof provided with a large hand wheel 21.. Mounted upon the shaft 20 is a combined pinion 22 and a ratchet wheel 23. The pinion 22 meshes with the raclelm-r 13 and engaging the ratchet wheel 23 is a pivoted gravity pawl 24, carried by the bearing 19. The upper ends of the standards l5 support ahood or casing 25 that is provided with an opening 26 whereby the handle or end 27 of the gravity pawl 24 can extend through saidhood or casing and permit of the operator lo f the foldable stepreleasing the ratchet wheel 23 so that the shaft 20 can freely revolve.

The stationary steps 3 and 4 are braced by straps 2S and the riser 29 of the step 4 has a rear side thereof provided with a curved guide 30 that has the lower end thereof in a horizontal plane and slotted, as at 31.

When the shaft 20 is revolved to elevate the rack 13, said rack pulls upwardly "upon the lower edge of the riser (3 of the foldable step. As the riser 6 is closed the roller 10of the rearwardly extending arm 9 passes through the slot. 31 of the curved guide 30, until the roller 10 impinges said guides. The roller is then guided downwardly to theposition shown in dotted line in Fig. 3,;such position causing the tread 7 to fold against the riser 6. The folded step is retained in a cloud position by the gravity pawl 24 engaging the ratchet wheel 23. Itis then impossible for a person to mount on stationary steps 3 and 4. Upon the. vehicle reaching a station or crossing, the operator of the vehicle can shift the pawl 24 to re; lieve the shaft- 20, thereby allowing the step to open by gravity.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

lltl

It is thought that the operation and utilsusceptible to such wariations and modifications as fall within the scope of the ap pended claims.

What I claim is 1. combination with a platform, and stationary steps, of a foldable step at the lowerend of said stationary steps, a rear wardl y projecting arm carried by the tread ofsaid foldable steps, a rack-bar connected tothe lower edge of the riser of said foldable step andextending upwardly to said platform, means carried by said platform and engaging said rack-bar for folding the riser of said foldable step, and means carriedby, said stationary steps and adapted to be engaged by the arm of said foldable step for folding the 2. The combination with a platform, and stationary steps,of a foldable step arranged at-the foot of said stationary steps, a rackbar connected to the loweredge of the riser of said .foldable step and extending upwardly to said platform, a revoluble roller supported by the tread of said foldable step, a guide carried by' said stationary steps and a tread of vsaid step against the riserthereof.

engaged by said rollerfor folding the tread of said foldable step against the riser thereof, and means located upon said platform and engaging said raclobar for moving said bar and folding the riser of said foldable step. a.

3. The combination with a-plat-form, and stationary steps carried thereby, ofa foldable step connected to said stationary steps, a rack-bar having the lower end thereof con nected to the riser of said foldable step and extending upwardly through an opening pri vided therefor in said platform, a revoluble pinion engaging said rack-bar for shifting said bar and folding, the ri er of said fold-able step, a revoluble rolle r sup-' ported by the tread of said foldablestep, a guide carried by said stationary steps and adapted to be engaged by said roller'to fold the tread of said foldable step against the riser'thereof as said riser is folded, and means associated with said pinion for locking said pinion against rotation whereby said foldable step can be retained in a folded position. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

l/Vit-nesses MAX H. SRoLovrrz,

K. H. BUTLER. I 

